Positive duty guidelines

Alert: AHRC releases guidelines for new positive duty. From 12 December 2023, the Australian Human Rights Commission will have the power to enforce compliance with the positive duty obligation under section 47(c) of Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth). The positive duty requires organisations and businesses to take ‘reasonable and proportionate measures’ to eliminate, as far …
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The Planning Act 2022 (ACT)

The Planning Act 2022 (ACT) (The Planning Act) came into effect on 20 June 2023, and will replace the Planning and Development Act 2007 (ACT). Provisions with respect to planning strategy, district strategy, technical specifications and transitions have commenced with the remaining provisions to commence in Quarter 4 of 2023. With a goal to deliver …
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Thinking of using AI in your organisation: read this first – the legal issues associated with the use of AI Programs

Similar to the advent of the personal computers and the internet, ChatGPT is on the path to revolutionise the way we work, and the speed in which work can be done. With this change comes impacts to a whole raft of current practices in business, which although disruptive, will, in the long term, see an …
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Does your agency know when to engage a probity advisor?

Probity is the evidence of ethical behaviour, and can be defined as complete and confirmed integrity, uprightness and honesty in a particular process. When dealing with government resources officials need to ensure proper use and management of public resources. Probity aims to identify the risks which can occur at any stage of a process and …
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Businesses must be completely transparent to consumers, says ACCC

The Australian funeral services sector has attracted the attention of the ACCC for all the wrong reasons. Propel Funeral Partners Ltd (Propel), a publicly listed company, has been ordered to pay penalties for misleading consumers about the ownership of its funeral homes. Two Propel-owned funeral homes, one in Taree and another in Townsville, have been …
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Government announces plan to extend temporary relief in response to COVID-19

We previously published an article about the Federal Government’s legislative response to the economic impact of COVID-19 and the introduction of the Coronavirus Economic Response Package Omnibus Act 2020 which came into force on 25 March 2020. You can view this article here. The purpose of the legislative changes was to ease the financial impact …
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Director Identification Numbers Bill has passed

All company directors will soon be required to apply to ASIC to obtain their own unique Director Identification Number (DIN). The Treasury Laws Amendment (Registries Modernisation and Other Measures) Bill (the Amendment), part of the Government’s legislative package to introduce the Commonwealth Registers Act, has now passed both houses of parliament. Pending royal assent, it …
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COVID-19: Mandatory Code of Conduct for Commercial Leases

On Tuesday, 7 April 2020 the Commonwealth Government released a Mandatory Code of Conduct (the Code) containing a set of principles aimed at commercial tenancies to address the COVID-19 pandemic. States and Territories are to legislate the Code which would implement a set of good faith leasing principles that governs commercial tenancies including retail, office …
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Changes to witnessing documents in NSW

The NSW Government have temporarily suspended requirements for documents to be witnessed in person, in light of COVID-19. Legislation passed last week (Electronic Transactions Amendment (Covid-19 Witnessing of Documents) Regulation 2020) allows certain legal documents to be witnessed by way of audio visual link. This means that NSW residents no longer need to leave their …
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Boiler plate clause explanations: Joint and several clauses

Boiler plate clause explanations: Joint and several clauses

You’ve probably seen a joint and several clause in a contract before. It reads something like “Each Borrower agrees it is jointly and severable liable for the debt”. Or “an agreement on the part of two or more persons binds them [jointly and not severally/severally and not jointly/jointly and each of them severally]. “Jointly” means, …
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